William Morgan Murray was born in Bond County, Illinois, June 1, 1844.
His father, William Murray, born in Virginia in 1808, was reared in Bedford County, Tennessee, and came to Bond County when there were only seven families in the county.
His grandfather, Morgan Murray, made his home in the Old Dominion, where he died on his return from the Revolutionary War, of wounds received in the service.
His mother, Amanda Jane Harris, was born in Warren County, Kentucky, in 1825; died in Fayette County, Illinois, in 1874. She was the daughter of John and Nancy Goodson Harris and granddaughter of the Rev. William Harris, noted Presbyterian preacher, in the pioneer days of Kentucky, being pastor of the Pilot Knob Church, in Logan County, forty years. He, at one time, sat in the pulpit with seven of his sons, all Cumberland Presbyterian ministers. Rev. Harris, son of James Harris, lived in the northern part of Ireland and in England until he was a young man, when he came to America, in 1736. This marks the beginning of the Harris family in America.
Rev. Murray's parents were married in Bond County, Illinois, near Greenville, and removed to Fayette County, in 1858. He was the third of seven children.
He was enlisted in the Ninety-eighth Illinois Infantry in the Civil War, but was transferred to the Sixty-first Regiment, with which he served to the end of the war.
On November 30, 1865, he was married to Mrs. Annie E. Surber, daughter of Edmund Green of Fayette County. His wife was born in Marshall County, Tennessee, and came to Illinois, with her parents when a child. To them were born nine children: Ida Jeanette and Finis Ewing, both dying when very small; Margaret Lael (now the wife of Joseph H. Voris, Superintendent of the Odebolt, Iowa, Public Schools); the Honorable Roy William Murray, engaged in real estate at Storm Lake, Iowa and newly-elected representative from the 78th Iowa District to the State Legislature; Florence Nightingale, the wife of John Andrew Smith; Marie Lorette, wife of S. Theodore Harman, and Annie Genora and Carrie Christine, both living at home, and John Edmund, the youngest, who died in infancy.
Rev. Murray was converted in 1865 and united with the Cumberland Presbyterian Church; was received into the McLin Presbytery in 1871 and ordained to the ministry on September 27, 1875, by the Rev. M. A. Marlow, of Fairfield, Ill. Immediately after being received into the Presbytery he was installed as pastor of the church at Fairfield, which pastorate he held twelve years.
On August 7, 1887, he removed with his family to Enfield, Ill.
He accepted a call to the church at Owensville, Ind., March 12, 1889, and on May 5, 1897, removed to Beason, Ill., serving the Beason and Midland City churches until May 2, 1901, when he was called to the DeWitt Church. In August, 1907, Rev. Murray went into a new field, becoming pastor of the First Cumberland Presbyterian Church of Lincoln, continuing this work four years.
In 1911 he was appointed State Evangelist of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church of Illinois, holding this position until his death, which occurred at his home, Lincoln, Ill., October 22, 1912.
Fraternally, Rev. Murray was a Royal Arch Mason.
He built and dedicated a great number of churches. He was often spoken of as "The Great Bible Preacher," because of his thorough knowledge of the Bible--his memory was truly wonderful; all his life he was a student.
There was no place too remote for him to go--all the world had need of salvation and he was ready, yea, anxious to go and tell the sweet story of Jesus. His great, loving heart yearned for those in sin; he tarried not for storm, roads, illness (many times going when physically unable). Often he rode all night in the face of a blinding storm, but what mattered it? It was God's work and it must be done.
He was a man of strong personality and much-beloved by people in all walks of life.
As a husband and father he was all that could be desired. Always he had the welfare of his family at heart and was happiest when he could have all of them near him. His favorite chair, his writing desk, his fine old library, which he so much loved, all tenderly appeal to us--even in the call of the springtime I hear the well-loved voice--for was it not his favorite season? And now he is where it is always spring.
After a long life of faithful service and with sheaves well-garnered he has heard the tender voice of Jesus say: "Well done, thou good and faithful servant, thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of the Lord."
[Source: Our Senior Soldiers: The Biographies and Autobiographies of Eighty Cumberland Presbyterian Preachers. Compiled by The Cumberland Presbyterian Board of Publication. The Assistance of Revs. J. L. Price and W. P. Kloster is Greatfully Acknowledged. Nashville, Tenn.: The Cumberland Presbyterian Board of Publication, 1915, pages 52-55]